Despite muddy conditions and a three-game losing streak, the Georgetown men’s soccer team bounced back for a 2-0 win over Towson on Wednesday.
The Hoyas move back up to .500 at 3-3-0 for the season after posting two losses against ranked teams at the University of aryland/Adidas classic. Towson (3-2-1) was not such an elite competitor, and Georgetown controlled play for much of the game.
“We battled really well, played really well and definitely deserved the win,” Head Coach Keith Tabatznik said. “The past weekend showed us, or reinforced, how important it is for us to keep possession and keep the ball moving quickly. If we do that, we’re going to be in every game we play.”
The Hoyas controlled the first half, overcoming the rainy weather and slick field conditions to dominate possession.
The team created several scoring chances before capitalizing on one in the 25th minute. Junior Danny McAnally punted a corner kick that found its way to senior midfielder Dan Gargan, who headed it into the goal. Despite some other opportunities around the net, Georgetown had to settle for a 1-0 lead at the half.
“I thought we played very well, especially in the first half. I think at halftime, we honestly deserved to be up 2-0,” Tabatznik said. “If you reward yourself with your second goal in the first half, it makes it a lot easier.”
Despite posting 11 shots in the first half and forcing Towson junior goalkeeper Zak Thompson to make six saves, Georgetown would have to wait for the second goal. The openings came early in the second half as the Hoyas once again started well, but the drive soon gave out and the Tigers staged a counterattack.
“A little bit of frustration came in – there’s no team that’s not . going to have its share of moments that it has a chance to score,” Tabatznik said. “And what we tell the guys is that when the other team has those time periods, you just have to weather the storm.”
So if the rain were not enough, Georgetown had to face a tough Tiger push to even the score. Towson held the edge on shots (5-2) and corner kicks (4-1) throughout the 45 minute period but found each chance stifled.
Georgetown kept the shutout and clinched the win in the 88th minute when sophomore forward Ricky Schramm stole the ball from Towson’s goalkeeper and easily scored. Time soon ran out, giving the Hoyas a 2-0 win and their third shutout of the season.
Georgetown recorded only two shots in the second half, but it was enough to net a goal. The Hoyas have consistently been outshot in the second half of their games this season by a two-to-one average margin.
Schramm and Gargan led the team with three shots apiece and Schramm now leads the team with four goals on the season. Sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Keszler made five saves while staying in goal for the entire game. He has 24 saves this season for a .706 save average.
Georgetown now enters the conference season, which will include 10 of the remaining 13 regular season games. The Hoyas kick off Big East play with a showdown against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
Notre Dame boasts a 3-1-1 record and sits at 14th in the latest NSCAA/Adidas poll. Its only loss this season comes from No. 1 Indiana, which won a 2-0 decision on Wednesday. After upsetting the Irish twice the year before, the Hoyas fell 2-1 in South Bend last year.
“Now it’s just become a tremendous rivalry. I think Notre Dame is always a very hard team to play in South Bend. Having said that, we’ve had some great games there,” Tabatznik said. “I think that they’re always great games, and I expect it to be exactly the same.”
The Hoyas look to avenge last year’s lost at Alumni Field in South Bend, Ind., at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow. According to Tabatznik, the team is focused and ready after a tough opening stretch.
“This is where the new season starts, the beginning of the Big East. We want to be playing for the Big East title at the end of the season, so we got to knock off some of these big guys now.”
